Important safety information

[LABUP@aol.com]

I hope everyone will be patient as I go off subject but this was definately
worth passing on.  Please be aware of this danger and please, please talk to
your kids about it.


   PLEASE READ AND PASS IT ON TO YOUR KIDS OR FRIENDS..

Something to think about...

	Kit could hear the footsteps behind her as she walked toward home.  The
thought of being followed made her heart beat faster.  "You're being silly,"
she told herself, "no one is following you."  To be safe she began to walk
faster, but the footsteps kept up with her pace.  She was afraid to look back
and she was glad she was almost home.  Shannon said a quick prayer, "God
please get me home safe."  She saw the porch light burning and ran the rest of
the way to her house.
	Once inside she leaned against the door for a moment, relieved to be in the
safety of her home.  She glanced out the window to see if anyone was there.
The sidewalk was empty.
	 After tossing her books on the sofa she decided to grab a snack
and get on line.  There she could talk to strangers without being afraid.
After all, none knew who she really was and couldn't hurt her.
	She logged on under her screen name ByAngel213.  Checking her Buddy List she
saw GoTo123 was on.  She sent him an instant message:
	ByAngel213:	Hi I'm glad you are on!  I thought someone was following me
						home today.  It was really weird!
	GoTo123: 		LOL You watch too much TV.  Why would someone be following
					you?  Don't you live in a safe neighborhood?
	ByAngel213: 	Of course I do LOL I guess it was my imagination cause didn't
					see anybody when I looked out.
	GoTo123: 		Unless you gave your name out on line You haven't done that
					have you?
	ByAngel213: 	Of course not.  I'm not stupid you know.
	GoTo123: 		Did you have a softball game after school today?
	ByAngel213: 	Yes and we won!!
	GoTo123: 		That's great!  Who did you play?
	ByAngel213: 	We played the Hornets LOL..  Their uniforms are so gross!  They
					look like bees LOL
	GoTo123: 		What is your team called?
	ByAngel213: 	We are the Canton Cats.  We have tiger paws on our uniforms.
					They are really kewl.
	GoTo123: 		Do you pitch or what?
	ByAngel213: 	No I play second base.  I got to go.  My homework has to be
					done before my parents get home.  I don't want them mad at 						me Bye  
	GoTo123:		Catch you later.. Bye

GoTo123 decided it was time to teach Angel a lesson.  One she would never
forget.  He went to the member menu and began to search for her profile.  When
it came up he highlighted it and printed it out.  He took out a pen and began
to write down what he knew about Angel so far.

	Her name: 				Kit
	Birthday: 				Jan. 3, 1985 age:13
	State where she lived: 	North Carolina
	Hobbies: 				softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall.
Besides this information he knew she lived in Canton.  She had just told him,
He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 every afternoon until her parents
came home from work.  He knew she played softball on Thursday afternoons on
the school team and the team was named the Canton Cats.  Her favorite number 7
was printed on her jersey.  He knew she was in the seventh grade at the Canton
Junior High School.  She had told him all this in the conversations they had
on line.  He had enough information to find her now.

"She'll be so surprised," he thought, "she doesn't even know what she has
done."
Kit didn't tell her parents about the incident on the way home from the ball
park that day.  She didn't want them to make a scene and stop her from walking
home from the softball games.  Parents were always overreacting and hers were
the worst.  It made her wish she was not an only child.  Maybe if she had
brothers and sisters her parents wouldn't be so overprotective.
	By Thursday Kit had forgotten about the footsteps following her.  Her game
was in full swing when suddenly she felt someone staring at her.  It was then
that the memory came back.  She glanced up from her second base position to
see a man watching her closely.  He was leaning against the fence behind first
base and he smiled when she looked at him.  He didn't look scary and she
quickly dismissed the fear she had felt.
	After the game he sat on a bleacher while she talked to the coach.  She
noticed his smile once again as she walked past him.  He nodded and she smiled
back.  He noticed her name on back of the shirt.  He knew he had found her.
Quietly he walked a safe distance behind her.  He didn't want to frighten her
and have to explain what he was doing to anyone.
	It was only a few blocks to Kit's home and once he saw where she lived he
quickly returned to the park to get his car.  Now he had to wait.  He decided
to get a bite to eat until the time came to go to Shannon's house.  He drove
to a fast food restaurant and sat there until time to make his move.
	Kit was in her room later that evening when she heard voices in the living
room.  "Kit, come here," her father called.  He sounded upset and she couldn't
imagine why.  She went into the room to see the man from the ballpark sitting
on the sofa.  "Sit down," her father began, "this man is a policeman and he
has just told us a most interesting story about you."  Kit moved cautiously to
a chair across from the man.  How could he tell her parents anything?  She had
never seen him before today!
	
	"Do you know who I am, Kit?"  The man asked
	"No" Kit answered.
	"I am your on line friend, GoTo123."
	Kit was stunned.  "That's impossible!  GoTo is a kid my age!  He's 14 and he
		lives in Michigan!"
	The man smiled.  "I know I told you all that but it wasn't true.  You see Kit
there 	are people on line who pretend to be kids; I was one of them.  But
while others do 	it to find kids and hurt them, I belong to a group of parents
who do it to protect 	kids from predators.  I came here to find you to teach
you how dangerous it is to 	give out too much information to people on line.
You told me enough about 	yourself to make it easy for me to find you.  Your
name, the school you went to, 	the name of your ball team and the position you
played.  The number and name 	on your jersey just made finding you a breeze."
	Kit was stunned.  "You mean you don't live in Michigan?"
	He laughed.  "No, I live in Raleigh.  It made you feel safe to think I was so
far 	away, didn't it?"  
	She nodded.
	"I had a friend whose daughter was like you.  Only she wasn't as lucky.  The
guy 	found her and murdered her while she was home alone.  Kids are taught not
to 	tell anyone when they are alone, yet they do it all the time on line.  The
wrong 	people trick you into giving out information a little here and there
online.  Before 	you know it, you have told them enough for them to find you
without even 	realizing you have done it.  I hope you've learned a lesson from
this and won't do 	it again."
	"I won't," Kit promised solemnly.
	"Will you tell others about this so they will be safe too?"
	"It's a promise!"    

That night Kit and her dad and Mom all knelt down together and prayed.  They
thanked God for protecting Kit from what could have been a tragic situation.

Please send this to as many people as you can to teach them not to give any
information about themselves.  This world we live in today is too dangerous to
even give out your age, let alone anything else.  Be safe.

PASS THIS ON!